There are few secrets left in the world of whiskey, with collectors on social media sharing details in realtime, but there's been a hidden gem hiding in plain sight at Mission for the last few months and we're finally ready to blow the whistle on it. It's called Benchmark Bourbon and it's made by Buffalo Trace, the same distillery that produces Blanton's, Weller, Elmer T. Lee, and Pappy Van Winkle. 

For years, Bourbon enthusiasts have relied on the standard Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare editions for their value-priced labels, but when Buffalo Trace's Benchmark debuted for just $8.99 a bottle, consumers were almost confused: could a Kentucky Bourbon for less than $10 really be all that good?

Things got really interesting a few years back when we noticed a line extension of Benchmark on the shelves of Kentucky retailers during our visits. Rather than just the standard No. 8 brand, there were also Top Floor, Small Batch, Bonded, Single Barrel, and Full Proof options - a veritable smorgasbord of proofs, flavors and concentrations. 

When Buffalo Trace made these releases available in California last year, we snatched up every bottle available to us. The most expensive of the Benchmarks - the ultra-sweet 62.5% ABV Full Proof Edition - tops out at $23.99, which seems almost impossible for cask strength Buffalo Trace Bourbon, but seeing is believing and tasting is the truth. The whiskies are well-made, true-to-style, and unbeatable for cocktail fans. 

If you haven't discovered Buffalo Trace's value-priced Bourbons yet, you're missing out on one of the great whiskey values in the world, hiding in plain sight on our shelves right now.